The Substitute
by Sandriver
Summary: Whatever is a frightened Wallop to do when fate has rendered him scared and trapped without his teddy for comfort? Finn Junko sap.


I have re-emerged, few fandoms removed of Yu-Gi-Oh and Beyblade...

Hope everyone will enjoy this anyway! I also posted it a little while ago on Storm Hawks Slash, a live journal community. (go check it out if you aren't already on it! community./shslash/29832.html )

So now, the main event!

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"Finn, we should go back, Piper told us that she hadn't checked this area for traps yet!"

Junko crept along in the darkness behind Finn, strutting ahead.

"Junko relax. Piper's been checking every island for traps and she hasn't found one yet. Besides, Stork and Piper both said that no one had been to this island."

Junko looked from the dark foliage to his friends blond hair in the gloom before him. "Really?"

"Sure, he said that no one would have been able to get a carrier onto this rock except him." Finn didn't mention that getting a skimmer here would be no problem… he wanted Junko with him for his nighttime foray. This was a newly discovered terra and he would not wait for Piper's Paranoia Check. She was starting to act as neurotic as Stork.

"Well all the same…" Junko looked around uneasily. It wasn't that he was afraid of the dark, it was just that this dark seemed like it was out to get him.

"This Terra is brand new Junko! It was just discovered two weeks ago by long range scanner! There's nothing out here but us. Who else'd be crazy enough to be flying around vast uncharted sectors drawing pictures?"

He'd laid the sarcasm on so strong that Junko was confused. "Who's…"

"Pipers map craze. She seems to think that the more back water terras we visit, the better off we'll be." Finn walked on through the darkness, grumbling, listening to Junko creeping behind him. "Anyway, nothing beats that spirit of adventure right? Junko?"

"Um… Finn?"

"What."

"I think I stepped in a trigger."

"…What?"

"I think if I lift my foot, something terrible will happen."

"Junko, I think that Pipers paranoia talk has gone to your head." Finn took a step back and put on hand around Junko's arm. "Look, nothing to be-" he pulled Junko forward, and suddenly felt his chin hit something solid that abruptly shot up around them.

Dazed from the hit, disoriented and dizzy, Finn rubbed his head and shook off the stars circling his vision. "Junko?"

"I told you…" Junko said mournfully. "Now we're stuck…"

Finn was looking around, a solid wood frame floor that had been hidden under the layer of leaves on the ground. Apparently the trigger was for a good sturdy rope at each corner to haul up and into the canopy, where four walls and ceiling waiting for them closed them in entirely.

"Say, Junko my good buddy, you think you could do something about this?"

"Finn, we're more then fifty feet in the air. Do you really want me to start smashing things?"

"Oh. Right." Finn glanced around, the cage walls and ceiling were solid woven branches, lashed together, allowing them to see out, but Finn couldn't be sure that he'd be able to get a clear shot off through the gaps between the branches. "This looks like it was made recently." Finn peeled back some of the bark, even without being able to see well, he could smell the green wick. "It was probably made less then a week ago."

"You said that Piper was just being paranoid!" Junko's voice rose an octave.

"She is!" Finn crossed his arms defensively. "We've never found a trap on any of those unpopulated islands. I don't know what she's so worried about. This is just a freak occurrence!"

"How do we get out of freak occurrences?"

Finn moodily kicked at the cage wall. "Wait until one of the others notices that we're gone and comes looking for us. Oh man… I really hope it's not Piper… she'd never let me live this down."

Finn sat seething and sulking quietly for more then twenty minutes before he realized why the cage was moving.

"Junko, are you… shivering?"

"Finn, what happens if this terra is inhabited by some horrible people? What if they eat us Finn!?"

Finn sighed. For all of Junko's strength and toughness, he was still such a wimp sometimes.

"There's no way Junko, relax. We just have to hang out here until Aerrow or… Piper comes to look for us and takes us back to the condor." Finn could see Junko shivering now that his eyes had adjusted to the darkness in their little cage.

"Finn…" Junko whined.

"Oh come on." Finn groaned. "We're not kids anymore!"

"But Finn! We'll be out here all night in the dark like this! And what if some horrible people show up and burn the cage from around us??"

"That's never gonna happen Junko, now just…"

"FINN! What if Piper and Aerrow and Stork don't find us and we die here?!"

"Junko! That is not going…"

"What if in we're some horrible offering and a big creature comes and eats us??"

"Junko!" Finn's voice was heavy with discontent.

"What!?"

"Fine!"

Junko promptly looped one arm around Finns waist and jerked his friend close to him, holding Finn against him like a teddy bear.

"Are you sucking your thumb?!" Finn squirmed against Junko's arm around his waist, pinning him against the Wallop with his back to Junko's broad chest. Finn shoved Junko's arm hard enough to hurt his hands, but he was pretty sure that Junko barely noticed. "You'd better not be sucking your thumb."

"I am not." Junko muttered, his voice muffled.

Finn stopped squirming against the arm clutching him. Junko had been like this ever since they'd met a few years ago. During a crisis that had absolutely nothing to do with Finn exploring a giant pythons lair, Finn had discovered Junko's weakness to clutching something for dear life when he was afraid. Junko's favorite clutch was a teddy bear that he kept hidden in his room, but Finn would do in a pinch like this.

Once Junko felt a little better, with a solid, warm body close at hand, he settled himself more comfortably, crossing his legs and leaning back against the cage wall, Finn settled on his lap, the two of them facing the same dark wall in their cage, Finn's head tucked under Junko's chin.

"You're lucky you're stuck out here with my Junko." Finn muttered. "Aarow would never let you get away with this. Or Piper. Or Stork. Or Radar.

"Oh no, I wouldn't ask those guys." Junko replied easily. His arm was light around Finns waist now, warm, solid and comfortable. Finn was leaning back against Junko's hard chest, boneless and warm.

"Oh really?" Finn asked. He was drowsy now; they'd snuck out of the Condor late to go exploring and he was already tired from a busy week. Add to that the fact that a Wallops temperature was usually at least four degrees higher then a humans, and Finn was set on course for a nap like no other without even realizing.

"No, I don't like them as much. Not when it's something like this. I'm glad I got stuck here with you." The simple blunt statements, in Junko's light voice had a surprising effect on Finn. "Buddy? You ok? You feel warm all of a sudden."

"It's nothing Junko… just your imagination…" Finn was wholly grateful for the darkness covering his blush. Junko easily admitted to how he felt about Finn, but it always surprised Finn when he did. Surprised, and made his heart skip a few beats. He didn't trust himself to say more, but let Junko hold him in the dark of their cage until they fell asleep.

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"Piper?" Aarow knocked on Pipers door. She slid it open, and Aarow grinned at her. "I just wanted to tell you, the trap you set this morning got tripped."

"Excellent." Piper grinned. "I think a cold, terrifying night in the canopy should remind Finn why we need trap checks..."

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Because, you know, Pipers plans backfire when Finn is involved. I love that guy.

Please review if you read! I know this is a small fandom right now, let the writers feel the love!

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